| Hockey is one of the most popular contact games | | | | forming a shallow scoop for catching and guiding the |
| played in the US, probably next only to soccer and | | | | puck.Field hockey uses a molded plastic ball. Ice |
| rugby. There are several versions of hockey played | | | | hockey and inline hockey use hard, vulcanized rubber |
| such as field, inline, rink and ice hockey. All use | | | | discs called pucks. Both balls are sized according to |
| specialized gear and equipment.The basic equipment | | | | hockey associations. The objective of any version of |
| of hockey is a stick, which may be about three feet | | | | hockey is to guide the ball or puck towards the goal |
| long. Hockey sticks are round and generally made of | | | | net. Goal nets are supported by steel frames and |
| wood covered with fiberglass; aluminum sticks are also | | | | have durable synthetic nylon nets.Protective gear and |
| used and both varieties feature suede and rubber | | | | team jerseys are just as important as the skates or |
| grips. Field hockey sticks have hooked bases, which | | | | footwear, the stick and the puck. Protective hockey |
| are rounded at one end and flat at the other to | | | | gear is comprised of a chest protector, a helmet, large |
| accurately smack the ball into the goal. Ice hockey and | | | | padded shorts, shin pads, a neck protector, and other |
| inline hockey sticks have broader bases and most are | | | | gear. Make sure you use all protective gear whenever |
| designed for right-handed players. When holding the | | | | you play hockey. Some pick-up games of hockey are |
| upper portion of the stick with your left hand and the | | | | not played with protective gear, but safety should |
| lower portion with your right, the base curves forward, | | | | come first. |